A number of investment organisations and business groups have written to the Treasury Select Committee on the issue of offshore financial centres, ahead of yesterday's deadline for comment.
Gross mortgage lending in March stood at £17.7bn and was the highest total for third month of the year on record and 11% above the previous highest March total two years ago, the latest figures from the British Banker's Association (BBA) reveal.
Gross mortgage lending was £16.9bn in December - 20% higher than in December 2004 and the highest December total on record, according to the latest British Bankers' Association figures.
Further mortgage lending figures from the British Bankers' Association (BBA) suggest last year's net mortgage lending annual increase of £62.3bn was close to the figure for 2003.
The Survey of Mortgage Lenders (SML) says mortgage sales are now falling as gross mortgage lending for December dropped 13% from the £24.6bn recorded a year earlier.